The Phinsider - Knowshon Moreno injury: Knee surgery lands running back on PUP listA Miami Dolphins community, established November 18, 2006https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/49617/phinsider-fav.png2014-08-06T16:19:45-04:00http://www.thephinsider.com/rss/stream/56990802014-08-06T16:19:45-04:002014-08-06T16:19:45-04:00Moreno: 'Feels good to put the shoulder pads on'
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<figcaption>Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>Miami Dolphins running back Knowshon Moreno was activated from the Physically Unable to Perform list this morning, taking part in the team's training camp practice shortly thereafter. Once practice was complete, Moreno spoke to the media. We have the team provided transcript of his remarks.</p> <p><b>(On the excitement of being back on the field) -</b>"Yeah, it feels good to put the shoulder pads on and come out here and just work with the guys."<u></u><u></u></p>
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<p><b>(On using the time when he was out of practice to absorb the playbook) -</b>"Of course. A lot of the game is mental also, so I've been getting a lot of mental reps. Now, I just have to come out here and put those things together and get practicing again."<u></u><u></u></p>
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<p><b>(On what his timetable is for getting into a preseason game)</b><b>- </b>"I don't know yet, don't know yet. It's up to the coaches, but at the same time I want to make sure I'm good and ready to go. The main thing is to be ready for the season, but right now I feel good. It felt good to come out here today."<u></u><u></u></p>
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<p><b>(On if he had a breakthrough in recent days that allowed him to come back to practice today)</b><b>- </b>"Just gradual, just gradual. Every day, trying to make a step towards getting out there and doing a lot of practice. Today, we were just testing it out and seeing how it feels."<u></u><u></u></p>
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<p><b>(On if he was limited out there today or if he was able to go 100 percent)</b>- "I feel good, felt good. What I did today I felt pretty good doing it. So now, in the next couple of days, just progressing and do more and more each day."<b> <u></u><u></u></b></p>
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<p><b>(On if he is up to speed on the playbook)</b>- "I'm good with the playbook. It's just going out there and seeing it full speed versus the defense. But I feel pretty confident about the playbook."<u></u><u></u></p>
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<p><b>(On if the zone-blocking scheme here is similar to the one he ran in Denver and if that is helpful)</b>- "I guess so, a little bit. But at the same time, it's a totally different scheme, totally different, but I feel confident about it."<u></u><u></u></p>
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<p><b>(On if he feels that he needs a preseason game to get ready)</b>- "It would be good to go out there and feel full-speed action, but at the same time, I'll be ready whenever it's ready."<u></u><u></u></p>
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<p><b>(On if he's back practicing ahead of his expected timetable or after)</b>- "I think it was just about right, just about right. Like I said, every day, I just got better and did more and more in the training room. Now, it's time to do a little bit more on the field."<u></u><u></u></p>
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<p><b>(On if feels like he has something to prove this year)</b>- "I'm going to do whatever I can do, anything to help this team out. I'm going to go out there and do every play, every practice, every game, 100 percent and the best I can do. Whatever happens after that will (happen)."<u></u><u></u></p>
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<p><b>(On if he has fallen behind RB Lamar Miller in the battle for the starting RB position)</b>- "I'm just going to come out here and work. I can't really think about the depth chart and things like that. Wherever the coaches want to me to be, that's where I'll be. I just want to come out here and work."<u></u><u></u></p>
https://www.thephinsider.com/2014/8/6/5976115/knowshon-moreno-injury-pup-list-activate-miami-dolphinsKevin Nogle2014-08-06T10:43:49-04:002014-08-06T10:43:49-04:00Knowshon Moreno activated from PUP
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<figcaption>Robert Mayer-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>The Miami Dolphins have activated running back Knowshon Moreno, who had previously been on the team's Active/Physically Unable to Perform list.</p> <p>The <a href="https://www.thephinsider.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Miami Dolphins</a> have activated running back <span>Knowshon Moreno</span> from the team's Active/Physically Unable to Perform list. At the start of training camp, teams can place players on the PUP list if they have not participated in any practice. They remain on the list, and unable to join the team workouts, until they are activated from the list, which can happen at any time. The players are allowed to conduct rehab work.</p>
<p>For Moreno, that rehab work focused on strengthening his left knee following arthroscopic surgery. He was expected to be sidelined for about a month following the procedure, and, with today's activation, he seems to be right on that timeline.</p>
<p>The Dolphins signed Moreno to a one-year contract this offseason, expecting him to compete with <span>Lamar Miller</span> for the starting position. After missing most of the team's offseason workouts and the first 10 practices of training camp, Moreno has a lot of ground to make up on Miller, who has had a good camp thus far.</p>
<p>The move leaves center <span>Mike Pouncey</span> as the only member of the Dolphins still on the PUP list. The benefit of the PUP list comes when the regular season starts, as a player who was listed on the team's Active/PUP during training camp and the preseason, can be moved to the Reserve/PUP for the regular season, which then frees a roster spot for the franchise. It does mean the player is shelved for the first six weeks of the season, but, it keeps the team from having to put a player like Pouncey, who is rehabbing a surgically repaired torn labrum in his hip, on Injured Reserve, and potentially losing him for the year.</p>
<p>Moreno was activated prior to Wednesday's practice, but he did not participate in most of the workout, participating in only some of the individual drills.</p>
https://www.thephinsider.com/miami-dolphins-injuries/2014/8/6/5974705/knowshon-moreno-activated-from-pup-list-for-dolphinsKevin Nogle2014-07-24T18:20:58-04:002014-07-24T18:20:58-04:00Pouncey, Moreno to Active/PUP list
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<figcaption>Timothy T. Ludwig-USA TODAY Spor</figcaption>
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<p>The Miami Dolphins opened training camp today by putting two players on the physically unable to perform list.</p> <p>The <a href="https://www.thephinsider.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Miami Dolphins</a> reported for training camp today, with players arriving at the team facility this morning. This afternoon, the club officially placed running back <span>Knowshon Moreno</span> and center <span>Mike Pouncey</span> on the Physically Unable to Perform list.</p>
<p>Teams must place a player on the PUP list prior to their taking place in any practices during training camp. For the Dolphins, that first practice is tomorrow, meaning today was the day to make the moves happen. There are actually two versions of the PUP list, the "Active/PUP" and the "Reserve/PUP." The active version is the one used during the preseason, and it allows players who are unable to start training camp to sit out until they are medically cleared to practice. At that point, the player can immediately be removed from the list and return to practice.</p>
<p>Placing a player on the PUP list in training camp does not open a roster spot on the team's 90-man roster.</p>
<p>The reserve version of the list is the regular season PUP list. A player placed on this list is out for the first six weeks of the season, with no practice or game appearance allowed. Between the first day after Week 6 and the first day after Week 11 of the season, a team has to make a decision on what to do with the player, using one of three options. They can (1) place the player on injured reserve; (2) return the player to practice; or, (3) release the player.</p>
<p>The bonus of the Reserve/PUP list is, any player on it does not count against a team's 53-man roster limit. It gives a team a way to stash an injured player, without ending his season by placing him on injured reserve, while he rehabs an injury.</p>
<p>Once the player returns to practice in that decision window, the team then has a three-week window to decide if they will place him on injured reserve or put him back on the 53-man roster.</p>
<p>Finally, and this is the important piece when it comes to players like Pouncey, and to some degree Moreno, if a player practices during training camp or the preseason, he is not eligible for the Reserve/PUP list. That's why placing a player on the Active/PUP list today is critical for being able to hold on to him without using a 53-man roster spot if he is not able to return when the season starts.</p>
<p>The Dolphins are not expecting a long rehab for Moreno, who had to have<a target="_blank" href="http://www.thephinsider.com/2014/6/23/5836104/mike-pouncey-injury-knowshon-moreno-surgery-miami-dolphins"> knee surgery this offseason</a>. He should be able to be removed from the Active/PUP at some point during camp. Pouncey, on the other hand, is <a target="_blank" href="http://www.thephinsider.com/miami-dolphins-injuries/2014/7/23/5931531/mike-pouncey-injury-to-keep-him-out-first-eight-weeks-according-to">expected to miss an extended period of the season</a>, after having to undergo hip surgery to repair a torn labrum. Placing him on the Active/PUP today allows the team the freedom to put him on the Reserve/PUP when the season begins.</p>
https://www.thephinsider.com/miami-dolphins-injuries/2014/7/24/5934887/dolphins-place-knowshon-moreno-mike-pouncey-on-pup-listKevin Nogle2014-06-25T13:26:57-04:002014-06-25T13:26:57-04:00How Troubling is Knowshon Moreno's Injury?
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<figcaption>Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>Knowshon Moreno is set to have a knee scope this week to clean up any potentially damaging debris. Moreno has had his share of problems since becoming a Miami Dolphins, such as weight issues and being low on the depth chart, but how troubling is this latest obstacle?</p> <p><span>Knowshon Moreno</span>, the former Denver Bronco who accounted for over 1,500 all-purpose yards in 2013, will undergo a knee scope which will sideline him for about a month sometime this week.</p>
<p>This development came the same day that the news broke that <span>Mike Pouncey</span> had hip surgery and would be out for three months. Both injuries blindsided the <a href="https://www.thephinsider.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Miami Dolphins</a>, but one surgery is much more impactful than the other.</p>
<p>Moreno, as I wrote last week before it was confirmed that Moreno would indeed need surgery, may not even be the back best suited for the Dolphins' new system under offensive coordinator Bill Lazor. Lazor's system is based on speed and tempo, and it's an offense that fast/ quick players will thrive in.</p>
<p>Does that last description better describe Moreno or his competition, <span>Lamar Miller</span>?</p>
<p>With that being said, Moreno is a reliable back is good at just about everything, and this is the reason the Dolphins signed him instead of going for the home-run hitter who fits the offense perfectly but has a bad attitude, <span>Chris Johnson</span> (who happened to sign with the <a href="https://www.ganggreennation.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">New York Jets</a>).</p>
<p>The Dolphins determined that they had a Johnson-like back in Miller so opted to go with the guy who had just about everything the Dolphins' backfield had been lacking.</p>
<p>Moreno's pass blocking prowess, his ability to catch passes out of the backfield, and his nack for getting posistive yardage on strong runs are all things that Miami's backfield didn't excel at in 2013.</p>
<p>Moreno, who has been called steady-yet-unspectacular, has been well-documented for his lack of ability to break big plays. Moreno had the shortest "longest run" of the season, 31 yards, for any running back with over 1,000 yards rushing besides, ironically, the aforementioned <span>Chris Johnson</span> (30). Both had only five carries of over twenty yards in 2013.</p>
<p>However, Moreno's real worth comes in his ability to consistently gain near his average, which was 4.3 yards in 2013.</p>
<p>Some running backs, such as Miller, have their yards-per-carry average inflated due to scampers which gain them large chunks of yardage in one swoop. A running back could have 25 attempts in a game, run for no-gain on 20 of those rushes and then bust five of them for 20 yards to have a four YPC average (which is usually the bar between good and bad running backs).</p>
<p>One of the biggest obstacles to overcome for the 2013 Dolphins was second and third-and long. Miami was 28th in the NFL in yards on first down and, coincidentally, converted only 35% of their third down attempts, which ranked the Dolphins 24th in the NFL. Four yards is the magic number on first down to offensive success, so that steadiness and ability to punch out for yards a pop will be missed greatly during Moreno's absence.</p>
<p><strong>Conversion rates:</strong></p>
<p>When you examine the success rate of converting second and third downs from the years 2005-2008 in a study done by Pat Kirwin, you can see why getting 4-plus yards on first down is key to offensive success.</p>
<table style="height: 246px; width: 433px;" cellspacing="1" cellpadding="1" border="1" align="center">
<thead>
<tr>
<th scope="col">Down/ Distance</th> <th scope="col">Success Pct.</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>Second-and-1-5 yards</td>
<td>56</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Second-and-6-9 yards</td>
<td>27</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Second-and-10-plus</td>
<td>17</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Third-and-1</td>
<td>67</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Third-and-2</td>
<td>52</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Third-and-3</td>
<td>49</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Third-and-4</td>
<td>47</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Third-and-5</td>
<td>42</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Third-and-6</td>
<td>41</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Third-and-7</td>
<td>37</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Third-and-8</td>
<td>32</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Third-and-9</td>
<td>32</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Third-and-ten-plus</td>
<td>
<p>20</p>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p> </p>
<p>However, now that I've properly explained Moreno's worth after selling him short in last week's article, it must be revealed that this injury will really have no impact besides a loss of time for Moreno to work himself back into football shape as it was noticed by many that the running back looked a bit pugdy in offseason workouts.</p>
<p>Moreno should be ready in time for training camp in little over a month, but if any setback is suffered after this surgery to clean out his knee, my verdict will change.</p>
<p>While I don't <em>think </em>Moreno is the back best suited for this offense, besides his proficiency in this passing game, I <em>know </em>that he provides skill sets that this Dolphins team desperately needs.</p>
<p>As it stands now, Moreno's injury isn't a factor, besides the fact that it will take him longer to get ready for the 2014 season. Any setbacks will foreshadow trouble for the Dolphins, who would be much more limited in the versatility department when it comes to the runnning back unit.</p>
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https://www.thephinsider.com/2014/6/25/5841854/miami-dolphins-how-troubling-is-knowshon-morenos-injuryDanny Williams2014-06-20T10:36:00-04:002014-06-20T10:36:00-04:00Knowshon Moreno may need surgery
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<figcaption>Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>The disappearance of Knowshon Moreno this offseason could be due to a knee issue, one which may soon require surgery.</p> <p>The <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.thephinsider.com/">Miami Dolphins</a> have ended their offseason workout program, with nothing on the schedule between now and the July start of training camp. Most players will use this time to go on a vacation with family, continue to workout on their own, and simply rest before the season starter. For running back <span>Knowshon Moreno</span>, this break could include surgery on his left knee.</p>
<p>Moreno, the former <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.milehighreport.com/">Denver Broncos</a> runner, joined Miami this offseason on a one-year, $3 million contract, with $1.25 million of that guaranteed. He was expected to battle for the starting running back position, if not outright claim it as his own. Depending on how serious the knee injury is, and how long recovery from surgery would take, Moreno may simply be fighting to have a 2014 season.</p>
<p>Pro Football Talk was the first to suggest <a href="http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2014/06/20/moreno-may-need-knee-surgery/" target="_blank">Moreno is facing surgery</a>, but also pointed out that this is not the same knee in which Moreno suffered a torn ACL. In 2011, Moreno tore his right ACL in a game against the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.arrowheadpride.com/">Kansas City Chiefs</a> mid-way through the season. PFT explains that the current issue is "nothing exotic or unusual," and that the surgery would be an arthroscopic procedure that is "nothing significant at this point."</p>
<p>NFL.com's Ian Rapoport adds that Moreno will be seeing "<a href="https://twitter.com/RapSheet/status/479985878568157185" target="_blank">a doctor next week to determine if surgery is needed</a>."</p>
<p>Yesterday, the South Florida Sun-Sentinel's Omar Kelly reported that it was a "<a href="http://www.thephinsider.com/2014/6/20/5826498/knowshon-moreno-disappearing-from-dolphins-plans" target="_blank">medical issue</a>" that was keeping Moreno from working with the starters in Organized Team Activities and minicamp, but his source would not go into any more specifics.</p>
https://www.thephinsider.com/2014/6/20/5827448/dolphins-knowshon-moreno-could-be-headed-for-surgeryKevin Nogle